Palestine Liberation Army

The Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) was a Palestinian militant organization that was established by Egypt in 1964 as an unofficial armed wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Founded at an Arab League summit in Cairo, the PLA was under the control of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser until 1968-1969, when Fatah took control of the PLA. The PLA was organized into the Ain Jalut, Qadisiyyah, and Hattin brigades to have a total strength of 4,500 fighters, with the fighters consisting of Palestinian refugees who performed their military service in the PLA instead of in the militaries of their host countries. At its height, the PLA had 12,000 soldiers and modern equipment such as tanks, small arms, and mortars, and Syria sent the PLA and some repainted Syrian Arab Army tanks to invade Jordan during Black September. The PLA was forced to retreat due to international pressure, and Syrian ruler Salah Jadid was overthrown as a result of the scandal. During the Lebanese Civil War, the PLA was used by the Syrian government to fight against both the Palestine Liberation Organization and the anti-Syrian forces, and the Egyptian PLA was dissolved in 1976. Since 1993, the PLA has remained in Syria, and it has fought in the Syrian Civil War.